Dredging or excavating machine



G. W. KING. DREDGING on EXGAVATING .MA-GHINE.

(No Mode Lj Patented June 11, 1895.

- UNlT-E STATES GEORGE W. KING, or MARION, onto.

DREDGING OR EXCAVATINGMACHINE.

SPEUIF ICAT ION forming part of Letters Patent No. 540,745, dated June '11, 1895. Application filed May 15, 1894. Serial No. 511,330. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. KING, of Marion, in the county of Marion and State of Ohio, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Dredging or Excavating Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in dredging or excavating machines and more especially to the means hereinafter described of taking up the slack in the swinging-chain or cable employed to swing or movethe boom laterally.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a dredging or excavating machine provided with my improved means for'taking up the slack in the swinging chain or cable. Fig. 2 is a plan of so much of the machine as it is considered necessary to show in order to illustrate my invention; and Fig. 3 is a right-hand side elevation relative to Fig. 2 of the Weighted tightening-chain, &c.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the hull or body-portion of a dredge-boat or machine, and a the laterally swinging or movable boom that is pivoted or fulcrumed to the body-portion of the machine, as at a.

B represents the upright frame-work of the machine that is provided at any suitable elevation with a horizontally-arranged semi-circular or approximately semi-circular swinging-platform or frame 0 pivot-ally secured to the supporting-frame-work, as at G, and suitably connected with the boom.

Platform or frame 0, at intervals along its edge, is provided with sheaves or pulleys C over which leads the swinging-chain or cable D, whose opposite ends are attached, respectively, to different winding-drums DD, the chain or cable leading from the one drum upwardly to and over guide-sheave or pulley, D thence to and over the aforesaid sheave-bearing-frame, and thence to and over guidesheave or pulley D located a suitable distance above the other winding-drum, and thence to the latter, the arrangement of parts being such that the swinging-chain or cable shall be paid out byt-he one drum while it is wound upon the other, and so that the boom shall be swung or moved laterally in the one direction or the other according as the swinging-chain or cable is wound upon the one winding-drum or the other.

E designates a continuous tightening chain or cable, the one end whereof is attached, as at E, to the section of the swinging-chain or cable that leads from the one side of sheavebearing-frame O, and the other end of said chain or cable is attached, as at E to the section of the swinging-chain or cable that leads from the other side of said frame, the ends of said tighteningbhain or cable being attached to the swinging-chain or cable at any suitable points between the aforesaid frame and guidesheaves or pulleys D D Tightening-chain or pulley E leads from its one point of attachment to the swinging-chain or cable, (point E for instance) along the swinging-chain or cable to and over guidesheave or pulley D 5 thence over guide-sheaves or pulleys E to and over guide-sheave or pulley D and thence along the swingingchain or cable to its other point of attachment E A weight W is suspendedfrom the tightening-chain or cable at any suitable point between guide-sheaves D D said weight being preferably suspended from a sheave or pulley W engaging or mounted upon the tightening-chain or cable, the object of the weight being to take up the slack in the tightening-chain or cable and thereby hold the latter properly stretched, resulting in the stretching of the portions of the swinging-chain or cable that engages the boom-swinging-frame (J, and the friction had between the tighteningchain or cable and the swingin gchain or cable will hold taut that portion of the swingingchain or cable between points 'E F. and sheaves E E What I claim is- In a dredging or excavating-machine, the combination with the boom, winding-drums D D, guide-sheaves or pulleys D D boomengaging sheave-bearing-frame O, and swinging-chain or cable leading over the sheaves of the sheave-bearing-fraine and over the aforesaid guide-sheaves or pulleys and operatively connected with the winding drums, of the tighteningchain or cable attached to the swinging-chain or cableat E E weighted ehain or cable is attached to the swingingchain or cable, all snbstantiall y as shown, for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I sign this specifica- I5 ticn, in the presence of two witnesses, this 16th clay of December, 1893.

GEORGE W. KING. Witnesses:

JOHN F. MONEAL, ALFRED F. MCNEAL. 

